FIFA bans US Soccer officials from USMNT World Cup round‑of‑16 match against Belgium

FIFA prohibited two United States Soccer officials, team manager Sam Zapatka and vice‑president of security Frank Pannell, from attending the United States men’s national team’s round‑of‑16 World Cup match against Belgium. The ban was issued without a public explanation but is reported to stem from alleged violations of FIFA’s match‑area protocols during the prior round‑of‑32 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The United States lost the Belgium match 4–1 and were eliminated from the tournament.

The sanctions were not linked to the controversy surrounding striker Folarin Balogun’s red‑card suspension, which was briefly lifted to allow him to play. Zapatka has been with US Soccer since 2015 and assumed the team‑manager role in January 2020; Pannell previously served with the Secret Service and the CIA. USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino noted the team’s disconnection from the game, saying, “Everyone saw from the beginning that we did not connect with the game….”